Extensible reach for vehicles



May 254, 1943. 5.4 G. MNAMARA, JR' 2,320,189

EXTENSIBLE BEACH ER VEHICLESA Filed Fen. 23, 1942 @y Pan/JLG@ Patented May 25,' 1943 U NIT E D STAT-ES PAT ENT FF ICE EXTENSIBLE REACH FOR VEHICLESV Gordon G. ,McNamara Jr., Chicago, Ill., assigner to International Harvester Company, a corporationof New Jersey Application'Februax-y 23, 1942,:Serial N0. 431,953

Claims.

This invention relates to avehicle and more particularly to" a vehicle chassisnr reachconstruction. The. invention pertains especially to improvements in reachv constructions'for wagons or trailers and:- the" like; 5 6, the front aXle including a pair of transversely In theetrailer or wagon of the usual construe'- spaced-wheels 'I and the rear axle being similarly tion there is proyidedrfnontand rearl transverse nrOVided With Wheels 8. The front aXle includes WheeledV axlesv connected together by longitua central bracket S-which provides a pivot Ill on dinally adjustable. reach/members. Problems` in a vertical axis for the connection of a draft design have heretofore involved the necessity l0 tongue Il. The fl'Ont Wheels are Steerable of providing a comparativelyv simple yet nexthrough the medium of tie rods I2 connected to pensive reach construction, and thisA has. been the tongue and Steering knuckles i3. This conespecially true in instances where it has been Si'lrnCtiOn iS generally COnVentienal. desired tofproduce light weight'trailers orwagons The front nXle has rigidly COnneCted t0 the as cheaply aspossilile. Y l5 rear side thereof a longitudinal, rearwardly ex- TheY presentinvention contemplates and-z has tending reach element Ill. As best shown in for its principal object the provision of an m- Figure 3, this element is preferably an I-beam and provedy reach construction consisting of. a pair accordingly includes opposite upper and lower of re1ative1y adjustable-reach elements, each eleend denses l5 andan intermediate connecting mentintertting with the other element so that danseifi- In a preferred form of the invention theV two are substantially self-supporting, there.- the intermediate ange iS preferably disDOSed in fore lending greater strength to the structure a vertice-1 plane passing longitudinally through and at the Sametime permitting desirableexithe center of' the trailer. A pair of brace or bility Ibetween the front and rear axles'asithe henndmembers Il Vcnriects 01' braces the elewheels follow varying ground contour. Z5 ment I4 with respect to the front axle,

Specifically, it is' an` object of this invention The real' aXle 6 has rigidly connected to the to provide one reach element in the form of an fl'On Side hereef e lOIlgtlldinallY forwardly eX- I-beam and the other reach element in the form tendingY reach element I8. As best shown in 0f a, pair 0f Channel beams, the beams inter- Figures l' and 3, this reach means COIlSiStS Of a, fitting with the channels respectively at the op- Deir 0f lOngitlldinallY eXtending, parallel Chanposite sides of the I-beam. nels 01' beams I9, generally U-shaped in cross Another important object of the,V invention is Seeten and aCCOrCline'ly having upper and lower the provisionv of means for securing the reach 0l end flanges 20 end an intermediate flange 2l. elements together for relative longitudinal move- According tn'thediSpO-Si'inn 0f the I-beam I4, the ment to vary the wheel bese of the vehicle, channels I9 are disposed with their intermediate And another object is t0 provide an improved anges 2l vertically. These channels are dismeans for supporting a brake-operating element posed :back to back with the inner faces of the for brakes on the vehiclewheelg flanges 27| spaced transversely apart a distance A further'understanding of the foregoing and equal to the thickness of theintermediate iiange other desirable objects ofthe invention may be 40 '5491115 plaCtiCal Clearance) of the I-beam I4. had from the following detailed description taken The Channels I9 and I-beam are assembled in in conjunction'withthe accompanying sheet 0f telescopic or extensible relationship, with the drawings, inv which: channels respectively intertting with opposite Figure 1 is a plan View of a vehicle of the sidesV of the I-beam, the I-beam in elect formtrailer type embody-ing a preferred-formy of the i5 ing a pair of parallel channels respectively eminvention;` bracing the Channels I9.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectionalv View', as As best shown in Figure the outer surfaces viewed along'the line 2-2 of Figurel l; and of the flanges 2U ef the channels is su s tially Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional engage the inner surfaces of the iiang s l5 of view taken along the line 3--3 of Figure l. ein the I-beam Ill. In this manner the reach ele Although the present disclosurepertains to a vehicle of thelight-weight trailer type, it will be apparent that the improved construction is suitably adapted to-vehicles of other types, and

it is accordingly not intendedto limit the scope 65 of the present invention by reference to the particular disclosure.

As shown in Figure 1, the trailer comprises generally front and rear transverse axles 5 and ments are substantialiy selsuppcrtng, partienlarly as respects application of verticai thereto. Hence, the means for securing the beams together may be comparatively simple and inexpensive. As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, this means preferably comprises a member 22 having a pair of angularly related portions 23 and 24. The portion 23 is threaded as at 25 and carries a iirst nut 26 thereon adjacent the portion 24. This nut provides a stop for abutting one of a pair of plates 27, respectively lying along the inner sides of the channels I9. The portion 23 thus passes through openings in the plates 21, the channels I9, and the I-beam I4, the other side of the threaded portion then receiving a second nut 28. The channels and I-beam are respectively provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings, as indicated at 29, and the member 22 may be selectively inserted in any of the alined openings for the purpose of securing the channels and I-beam together in diierent longitudinally related positions, this means thus providing for adjustment of the reach members for varying the wheel base of the vehicle. A second securing means in the form of a bolt and nut 3D is provided for securing the channels and beam together.

The other 'portion 25 of the member 22, previously men ioned, extends downwardly below the reach construction and is provided with a attened end portion Si. This portion carries a U-bolt or clip 32 through which extends a longitudinally disposed brake-operating member 33. The presently disclosed trailer is provided at the rear wheels with brake means; although, it will be obvious that the trailer may have four-wheel brakes. The reference character 30. generally indicates the brake drum (Figure 2) The brakeoperating means 33 preferably consists of a pair of longitudinally adjustable' members secured together by a plurality of bolts 35. When the Wheel base of the trailer is altered, the bolts 35 may be removed and reinserted to new positions so that the two parts of the brake-operating member may be likewise adjusted. The relation between the brake-operating member 33 and the U-bolt $2 on the member 22 is such that the brake-operating member is slidably carried or supported in the U-bolt. Thus, the means for securing the reach members together serves also as means for supporting a portion of the brakeoperating means, in this case the member 33.

The rear axle is provided with supporting structure in which is journaled a transversely extending, short rock-shaft 36 which carries a downwardly extending arm 3l to which the rear end of the brake-operating member 33 is connected, as at 33. rlhe rock-shaft 36 also carries rigidly thereon a pair of forwardly extending arms 39, and these arms are in turn connected by vertical links Gil with a, pair of short arms 4I carried on a lower and longer rock-shaft 42. This rockshaft is operatively associated with brake shoes, not shown, contained in the brake mechanism, all of which may be conventional. end of the brake-operating member 33 is supported at one end of a swinging arm i3 ivoted on one of the hounds il on a vertical axis. A brake-operating cable il ext-ends" forwardly alongside the draft tongue H and may be operated by the draft vehicle, not shown, in the usual manner. Longitudinal movement of the brake-operating member results in rocking of the rock-shafts B and d2 and consequentlyl'application of the braking mechanism. The particular brake means shown forms no part ol?V the present invention except that it serves to illustrate the supporting of the brake-operating member 33 by the means 22.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing that The forward the improved reach construction provides a simple arrangement of only three reach members, these members being associated in such manner as to provide ,increased strength and yet to permit desirable ilexibility of the entire structure as the trailer wheels encounter varying ground contour. The means for securing the reach members together is comparatively simple and at the same time provides means for supporting a. brake-operating member for trailer brake mechanism.

Other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent to those versed in the art. It will be understood, of course, that only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described and that numerous modiiications a-nd alterations may be made therein without departing from the spriit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A reach structure for a vehicle having front and rear transverse axles, comprising a rst reach comprising a longitudinally extending member of I cross-section having upper and lower horizontal flanges and a vertical connecting flange, means securing said member to one axle, a second reach means including a lpair of longitudinal channel members, each having a vertical cross-flange and a pair of horizontal end-ilanges, said members being arranged in telescopic relation to the first reach member with the channels respectively intertting with the rst member respectively at opposite sides of the connecting flange of the I, means securing said three reach members together, and means securing said pair of reach members to the other axle.

2. A reach structure for a vehicle having front and rear transverse axles, comprising a rst reach means including a pair of opposed, longitudinal channels disposed back to back, means connecting said means to one axle, a seocnd reach means including a pair of opposed, longitudinal channels disposed back to back, the cross-sectional dimensions of said second channels being respectively less than those of the first channels and said second reach means being arranged in telescopic arrangement with the first reach means with the first channels respectively embracing the second channels, means securing the first and second channels together, and means securing the second channels to the other axle.

3. A reach structure for a vehicle having front and rear transverse wheeled axles and brake means on at least one axle, comprising a first reach means including a' pair of opposed, longitudinal channels disposed back to back, meansV connecting said means to one axle, a second reach means including a pair 'of opposed, longitudinal channels disposed back to back, the crosssectional dimensions of said second channels being respectively less than those of the-first channels and said second reach means being arranged in telescopic arrangement with the rst Y angularly related end portions for respectively engaging the channels and supporting the brakeoperating member, and means securing the sec ond channels to the other axle.

5. An adjustable frame structure for a. vehicle having front and rear transverse axles, comprising a longitudinal I-beam secured to one axle, a pair of longitudinal, paralell channel beams secured to the other axle and telescopically interfitting with the I-beam, and means securing said I-beam and channel beams together for relative longitudinal adjustment.

GORDON G. McNAMARA, JR. 

